Chapter 6 | Remembrance
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“Okay, so here's the thing, I remember you and you only, nothing else….” His voice was soft, almost hesitant, as if he were afraid of breaking the fragile silence that hung between them.
“You are the only memory that past me wanted to give you. I think he wanted us, in this time, to live happily ever after,” he said, towering over the planning table, his eyes searching hers for something—understanding, perhaps, or forgiveness.
She stood there, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. The weight of his words seemed to press down on her, and for a moment, she looked away, as if the intensity of his gaze was too much to bear. “But if you wanted us to live happily, it isn’t going to happen. I got entangled in this mess again,” she said, a visible frown appearing on her face. Her voice was tinged with frustration, but beneath it, there was a hint of sadness, a longing for something that seemed just out of reach.
He stepped closer, his presence warm and reassuring. “It doesn’t matter, really. If you have to get into this mess, then I just can’t sit around and do nothing,” he said, his voice firm but gentle. He reached out, pulling her into a warm hug, his arms wrapping around her as if to shield her from the chaos that surrounded them. For a moment, she resisted, her body tense, but then she relaxed, leaning into him, her head resting against his chest.
“Yes, I suppose,” she murmured, her voice muffled against his shirt. She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “So, you don’t remember anything about the CRONARCH and what happened between the Order and us?”
“No,” he admitted, his brow furrowing as he tried to grasp at the fragments of memories that seemed just beyond his reach. “Nothing at all.”
She sighed, stepping away from him and pacing the room. Her movements were restless, her mind clearly racing. “Well, then listen closely,” she began, her tone serious. “Back then, in the beta timeline, we used to be a happy couple. But our job… it was strange, perhaps even bad from a moral standpoint. The CRONARCH—they’re a bit posh and strange. They use their power to forcefully erase families, lives, and other physical and living beings without a worry in the world. And you and I… we were pureblood CRONARCH.”
He blinked, caught off guard by the term. “What’s a pureblood CRONARCH?” Rowan asked, mid-conversation, stopping her in her tracks.
She paused, turning to face him fully. Her expression was grave, as if she were about to reveal something that would change everything. “The powers of a CRONARCH are predetermined. It all begins at the start of our universe. At that time, Caldrith was ruled with an iron fist by seven kings, each resembling the seven kingdoms.”
She began to recount the history, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of emotion. “Asgard, the Kingdom of Bravery; Midgard, the Kingdom of Loyalty; Jotunheim, the Kingdom of the Ambitious; Lumora, the Kingdom of the Most Intelligent; Artemis, the Kingdom of Technology; Eldoria, the Kingdom of Warriors; and Celestia, the Kingdom of Dark Arts. These seven kings ruled with absolute power, their ways becoming increasingly cruel as they discovered the power of Titan blood.”
Rowan listened intently, his eyes never leaving hers as she spoke. “Titan blood had the power to reshape, change, and conquer the universe. But the kings wanted it for only one reason: power. It drove them mad, to the point where they would execute anyone who opposed them without a second thought. Death was the only fate for those who dared to stand against them.”
She paused, her gaze distant, as if she were reliving the memories herself. “But a rebellion rose. This rebel group dethroned the kings using another supply of Titan blood that had been hidden from them. They were no better than the previous kings, though. You once said to me, ‘They are just the previous blood in new skin.’ After some time, they created the new CRONARCH Order, uniting all of Caldrith under one flag.”
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Rowan’s mind raced as he tried to process everything she was telling him. The weight of their shared history, the complexity of their past lives, and the burden of their roles as pureblood CRONARCH—it was almost too much to comprehend. “So, what does that mean for us now?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
She turned to him, her eyes filled with a mixture of determination and sorrow. “It means that we have a responsibility, whether we like it or not. The CRONARCH Order is still out there, and they won’t stop until they’ve achieved their goals. We were part of that once, Rowan. We were part of something that caused so much pain and destruction. But now… now we have a chance to make things right.”
He nodded slowly, the gravity of her words sinking in. “And what about us?” he asked, his voice soft but filled with longing. “What about the life we were supposed to have? The one where we were happy?”
She looked at him, her expression softening. “That life… it’s still possible. But not if we ignore what’s happening around us. We can’t just pretend that the past doesn’t exist. We have to face it, Rowan. Together.”
He reached out, taking her hand in his. “Then we’ll face it together,” he said, his voice firm. “Whatever comes our way, we’ll handle it. As long as we’re together, we can get through anything.”
She smiled, a small but genuine smile that lit up her face. “I hope you’re right,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Because this is just the beginning. The CRONARCH Order won’t stop until they’ve erased everything that stands in their way. And if we’re going to stop them, we’ll need to remember who we are—and who we were.”
Rowan nodded, his resolve strengthening. “Then we’ll remember,” he said. “Together.”
As they stood there, hand in hand, the weight of their past and the uncertainty of their future hung heavy in the air. But for the first time in a long time, they felt a glimmer of hope. They had each other, and that was enough to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
The room was silent, save for the soft hum of the machinery around them. The planning table was littered with maps, schematics, and notes—remnants of their attempts to piece together the fragments of their past. But now, with the truth laid bare before them, they knew what they had to do.
“We’ll start with the CRONARCH Order,” she said, her voice steady. “We’ll find out what they’re planning and stop them before it’s too late.”
Rowan nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. “And what about the Titan blood?” he asked. “If it’s as powerful as you say, we’ll need to find a way to neutralize it.”
She frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. “That won’t be easy. The Titan blood is closely guarded, and the CRONARCH Order will do everything in their power to protect it. But if we can find the hidden supply—the one the rebels used to dethrone the kings—we might have a chance.”
“Then that’s where we’ll start,” Rowan said, determination shining in his eyes. “We’ll find the hidden Titan blood and use it to stop the CRONARCH Order once and for all.”
She smiled, a hint of pride in her expression. “I knew you’d say that,” she said. “That’s why I chose you, Rowan. Even when you don’t remember, you’re still the same person. You still have the same heart.”
He smiled back, a warmth spreading through him at her words. “And I’ll always choose you,” he said. “No matter what.”
As they stood there, the weight of their past and the uncertainty of their future seemed to fade away, replaced by a sense of purpose and determination. They had a long road ahead of them, but they were ready to face it—together.
The chapter of remembrance had come to a close, but their story was far from over. With the truth now in their hands, they were ready to write the next chapter—one where they would fight for the future they deserved, and for the love that had endured through time itself.
To be continued…..